Rather Be With You
by PenguinsForever
Summary: Jason can't help admiring Piper. She's amazing, in all the perfect ways, and just knowing her from experience only reinforces those thoughts. He loves her. He always has and always will. So why did he pick Reyna over her? It was stupid and he wasn't thinking, he knows that. But all in all, he may just learn how to fix his mistakes. Jasper AU.


**Warning: Rated T for a reason.**

**Happy birthday (more like a couple days ago) to me, my fellow Jasper idiots. I got inspired because...I don't know, I guess I'm too lazy to think of another chapter for Rough All Over. Hope this makes up for it?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson characters at all.**

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><p>That day was a sunny Friday. Jason's friends - Percy, Annabeth, Leo, Hazel, Reyna, and Frank - were all at their own places, and for some reason, he couldn't quite figure out why he didn't mind that much. It was like all of his concerns and thoughts about them had completely disappeared straight out of his mind, and there was no way in hell that they would be returning. And he had no idea why. And then he looked back to his right side to see his only friend that <em>wasn't<em> not with him, and he found his answer.

"And then, Leo basically set off the entire thing! _The entire thing _- curtains, the couch, even the pizza was smoked 'till it looked like one of Percy's overcooked cookies. Smoke was fucking everywhere!" Piper, the only thing he had been having on his mind for...well, the longest of time, before he could even think of something he _hadn't _thought before she came in his life, explained to him, using gestures until her hands looked like they would pop out of their wrists.

Jason's face broke out into a grin before he tilted his head back and laughed full-heartedly. "And what the hell were you doing during this whole time?"

Her full red lips gave the same impression that his did, though with a more expressive mischievous angle, and he caught himself staring at them for a beat too long before snapping his eyes back at her colorful ones, scolding himself for doing such an unfaithful thing. "I was laughing, you dolt. What else would I be doing?"

Their footsteps were echoing now in the dark hallway of the conference room's corridors, though he only vaguely heard it. "How have you not told me this before?"

Her smile flickered for a moment, as if she was remembering something, and she chuckled guiltily. "Um...I actually promised Leo I wouldn't tell anybody. He told me that I owed him one from the _last _time something exploded, so... Whoops."

He shook his head, clicked his tongue disapprovingly at her, and he felt himself shift his body a little closer to her and opened the door out for her to walk through. She may have not noticed it, but she flung a piece of her chocolate locks behind her shoulder, letting him have a whiff of her flower-scented hair, and he did his best to divert his thoughts. "How am I not surprised. You can't keep a secret if your life depended on it."

"Yes I can!" She said firmly, indignantly. "I keep many secrets. For instance, I haven't been telling your girlfriend that you've been dropping me at my home every Friday night. What would she think of that?"

She was referring to Reyna, and strangely, that term that Piper used to describe Reyna as, seemed confusedly unfamiliar to him, and he frowned. "She already knows."

He held out the door for her, a gesture that she had gotten quite used to, that she didn't even complain about it anymore, and she climbed in. "Okay, then, _you _can't keep a secret," she stated with a smirk as he got in with her.

"I rest my case, Pipes," he told her, and he started the engine before she could continue on with her rambling.

She still did, of course. It was like she had no end button. Like she would keep on talking no matter what, and she never followed what anybody told her. Especially with him, for some reason. Like he was some kind of signal that told her to keep yapping her mouth in a way that annoyed Jason to the fullest extent, and he wanted to scream.

But it was moments like those (and all the other moments that he spent with her), that made him guilty for stringing Reyna along, like some dog on a leash. Reyna would never be some dog on a leash, especially in his opinion. But she would also never be where Piper was in his view point, and that was something he would never be able to forgive himself for.

Belly dropping guiltily, he focused on what Piper was saying and only barely caught a handful of words nearing to the end of her sentence, "and freaking Dylan comes along and decides that he wants to tap blonde chicks this week, and so you can understand why Annabeth was in such a bad mood," before getting lost in the conversation and cursed in a way that Reyna would disapprove and laughed along with her when she shot him a look.

As they finally pulled up to her driveway, she gave him a quick smile and a peck on the cheek before walking out of his car, only looking back to wave slightly at him, and then she was gone.

He sighed before pursing his lips for the countless time since he'd met her, and he wondered why he was so wrapped around her finger. It was only moments that were spent with Piper that he wished he could say "I love you" instead of "goodnight" so openly.

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><p>It was about a month after, where he got flustered around her <em>again<em>, but this time it was very rare. Normally he could control himself, especially when it came to public occasions, but he didn't know why he slipped up so badly. If it wasn't for that fucking dress, he wouldn't have been glared at by a very angry Reyna that looked like she could explode any given moment.

It actually happened to be Piper's birthday that day, and they threw a surprise party at Percy's house (since that was the least expected house to be thrown in), and by that time, all of Piper's friends and a couple of other weirdos that he had no clue why they were invited, and he was slightly (okay, _really_) miffed at them for even glancing at the birthday girl in the wrong way.

He remembered he had gripped his wine bottle as Reyna kept on explaining about her plans for the future and what she was going to do with her life, and he excused himself abruptly from her and thoroughly chugged down the entire remaining liquid just so he could have enough strength to _look away _from Piper's smiling face at the geek that had his arm wrapped around her tightly. (Though he found himself staring at them, stalking every move they made on each other, before deciding that he desperately needed another bottle or he could possibly get arrested for criminal activities that Reyna wouldn't approve of, though by that point, he really couldn't care less.)

Anyway, by the end of the party, Jason was somewhat sober (though he reflected later on that he wasn't really, or else he would have _never _let himself get out of control like that). Annabeth decided that she wanted Piper to open her presents, and Piper, knowing that she wouldn't take no for an answer, agreed reluctantly.

The presents that she had received were numerous, but there was one that Piper pulled out that made Jason's eyes feel like they were ripping out of their sockets. "What the fuck _is _that?" He said, looking at the tiny piece of cloth that she pulled out.

"Jason, be nice," Reyna said, like that would solve all issues; it wouldn't, because he was sure that whatever Reyna was thinking that he was thinking would _never _come near to what was running through his head at that moment. "It's not that big of a deal, really. Wear it. It's the first dress I've ever seen that you've gotten so far. It really doesn't seem that bad."

Piper roamed her eyes at everyone's expressions: Annabeth shrugging, Hazel nodding her head approvingly, and Percy and Frank pretty much zoned out of the conversation a long time ago. Jason too was trying his best to not make eye contact. "Okay, fine. If you say so, I guess."

She disappeared into one of the guestrooms, and the tension (at least for Jason) was incredibly pressing. He gulped down thin air, and he felt his head going dizzy. Those drinks that he had previously had were a _really _bad idea. At least, he should have saved his alcohol tolerance for a time like _this_.

A couple of minutes later, Piper returned, and he was pretty sure that he had a heart attack right then and there. Though he heard that nobody was calling 911 for any health reasons, he figured that he had enough alcohol tolerance _not _to actually follow through with that.

To cut down too many delirious descriptions, let's just say that what Piper was wearing was incredibly tight. And short. And hugging. Not to mention_ hugging_. Yes, he meant to repeat that twice. The length of the deep red dress made Jason's eyes roam to her barren feet and back up her illustriously tanned legs, only putting more emphasis on her curvy hips before he gulped down roughly again. How he almost tried his best to never notice her chest before, completely erased from his mind, and he caught himself thoroughly staring, and he did his best to cross his legs naturally, though he could have _sworn _that Hazel looked at him weirdly for a second.

Her outfit wasn't a dress. It was a freaking lingerie. "Well, fuck," Percy said, snapping Jason out of his thoughts for a brief moment to notice everyone's expressions. Percy snapped his head away from Piper, having the better sense than to keep looking, and Frank followed, which was something that he grudgingly had to admire them for. At least they _could _look away. Percy awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, and Frank gave one glance to the ground, and he didn't look back.

As for Leo, he was pretty much zonked out, his head practically falling off the couch from his nap and mouth gaped open, but his eyes were tightly shut.

It was a good thing, too, because Jason was sure that he would have killed them if they were doing the same thing as he was doing. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Reyna watching him with those deadly brown eyes that Jason feared so much, especially coming from her. But for once, he couldn't retaliate in the way he knew she wanted him to.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't lift his eyes away from Piper just like usual. "Tell me about it," he muttered clearly, despite his dreamy thoughts. "Pipes, you're a knockout. You've always been, and you always will be."

He indistinctly heard a gasp from behind him - most likely Hazel - but he was too busy watching the reaction of the beautiful (though slutty) girl in front of him. She glanced down at the ground insecurely, rubbing her arms gently like she desperately wanted to cover up, and he was sure she was blushing. Just from that, it was enough to make him fully smile at her.

"Uh...thanks, I guess," it was only then that he realized that she had been watching his reaction the entire time as well, and he suddenly felt ashamed, and he tried his best to look away. Of course, once again, his efforts failed when it came to her.

She eventually did leave their viewpoint, going to change because she claimed "whoever sent me this must be a fucking pervert if they think that I'm actually going to wear this anywhere", and he couldn't just _not _agree. It was also then that he realized that Reyna was still glaring at him, even more so than usual, and he knew he was gonna have it with her. She was fully pissed.

And when Piper came back, fully clothed and more confident about herself which made her even _more _beautiful, he tried his best to not attack her with kisses and confirmations of love to her that he oh-so-badly _needed _to do, and only one questioning thought popped into his mind.

Why was he still with Reyna, again?

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><p>Now was the time, he knew it for sure. He watched as she walked down the school halls and stopped by his locker and placed a note in it before walking away. He knew he shouldn't be watching her like this, why didn't he have the guts to go to her himself? It was easy. All he had to do was grab her by the shoulders, push her against the lockers, and kiss her until they both felt like they would collapse from lack of oxygen, and even then, he wouldn't be able to think of a reason to stop.<p>

But he knew one thing had to happen first before he could even _dream _of that becoming a reality. So he opened up his locker and read the note (which he sadly found out that it was only for the missing homework he had missed the previous day since he was sick instead of something else), and he slammed his locker close. He fast-walked to Reyna and started a conversation he should have had with her a long, long time ago. "I really need to talk to you."

The black-haired girl looked up from her textbook that she was currently studying from, and she looked at him weirdly. "Jason, Chemistry is in, like, five minutes. What do you need?"

"It's..." his confidence faltered, thinking about how this might possibly crush her heart if he continued on. Just the thought of how this would end up made him almost back out. Almost. He knew now that it was now or never. If he didn't make this decision now, he would regret it for the rest of his life. He wanted, no _needed _to be with Piper. He couldn't take it anymore. "It's about Piper. I need to talk to you about...about her. I..." Shit. How was he supposed to say this? "I came to you because I wanted you to know about...about her first. I'm..."

Something flashed briefly in Reyna's eyes before she stopped him abruptly. "No. I know. Please stop." He looked at her, slightly relieved but more confused than ever. "It's okay," she said with a smile. "I understand. You love her," her voice broke a little and Jason felt himself frowning as each second passed by. She cleared her throat and maintained a stronger voice, and he felt his heart lift up again.

"How...how did you...?" he said quietly. He could almost feel everyone's eyes on them, and he wanted to shove them off. They didn't deserve to see what was going on. He hated them for it. After glaring at them for a while, the curious prying eyes glanced away from them, and continued with their own businesses and he turned to her again.

"I'm not naive, Jason," Reyna said lightly. "I see the way you look at her. I've always noticed it. She brings out a different side of you, one that's actually focused on the other little things, and it's actually...interesting. So it's fine."

He was more than confused now. He couldn't believe how fast this was turning out to be. "How...how are you taking this so..." it seemed to him that he couldn't form an actual sentence anymore. Nothing was going as planned. But he couldn't say how grudgingly relieved he was that it was.

"Lightly?" Reyna shrugged. "Probably because I've been used to it from you." He frowned at that, now fully knowing how truly unfaithful he had been to her, only to get Piper, made him feel so incredibly selfish, he wanted to slap himself for it. She must have noticed his expression because she chuckled a little, trying her best to lighten up the mood. "It's okay! She makes you happy, and that's all I want to see."

He stared at her blankly for a couple of seconds before nodding. "Guess our two years of dating never truly paid off, did it?"

"It's been a good two years," she said thoughtfully, and he hated himself again for still not feeling anything for her even though they had been dating through those years. The truth was, the only reason why Jason asked her out in the first place was because he was mad at Piper. He hated her for not loving him the way he wanted her to. It was obvious, the way she completely ignored him for anything and everything.

But then again, maybe Jason didn't have the balls to do anything. Now, however, he was so sick of not being with her, that he actually believed that he would kill if anything got in his way. But then again, that may just be the coffee he had this morning.

Though looking back on it, he _never _had caffeine in the mornings. Or ever. This was all on him. No more blaming his feelings on anything else. He was getting Piper no matter what.

He figured he must have zoned out because Reyna was snapping her fingers in front of his face to get his attention, and he glanced down at her. "I'm late for my class, thanks to you."

He gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry."

She shrugged again. "Go get her, okay? And make her happy. I may have been your friend longer than she has, but I will still gut you out if you dare even think about breaking her heart."

His smile became genuine. "Don't worry, Reyna. I couldn't even do it if I tried."

She pushed him playfully away from her, and he waved at her before turning away to go around the corner and to follow Piper, wherever she would be.

Eventually, he did find her about to enter her own class, and he let her name roll off his tongue so urgently, she dropped her books before glaring at him. Then her expression softened, and she reached down to pick up her books. He raced up to her, fumbled nervously with the books before placing them back in her arms. "Thanks," she said and smiled up at him gently.

Jason nodded at her and said, "I broke up with Reyna."

She stared at him before blinking. Her lips opened slightly before closing them again. Then she spoke. "What?"

He noticed her shocked face and said, "yeah, I know," he said, for a slight moment feeling culpable about what happened with Reyna, but then Piper spoke again and he forgot all about her.

"Why...why are you telling me so suddenly? Am I the first person to kno-" he cut her off startlingly, feeling his lips assault against hers, and her feather-like body was pushed hastily against the wall. His arms flew to her waist, and for the umpteenth time, he realized he was so _done _with waiting. Her books were knocked out of her hands once again as she let her arms crawl around his neck, and she dug her body into his, making all of his internal intestines shriek with an uplifting he had felt with no other person in his life.

He didn't know how long they did that, nor did he care that they were in a public school area, and he didn't care that everyone was watching now. They needed to know about them. It was a no-brainer.

"About fucking time," she breathed out in his arms. He could only nod his head once before he kissed her again, not having the energy to form literal words but instead _showing _how he felt, but unfortunately, the moment was interrupted by a clearing of the throat.

"You're late, McLean," Piper's jackass teacher told them. "You too, Grace." He pointed through the door sternly, and Jason and her followed.

"You're not in this class, stupid," Piper said teasingly at him.

"Oh..." he said thoughtfully, his mind still wrapped around in his other thoughts about what happened before the teacher appeared. "Right. Um, I'll see you after school, then?"

"'Course," she told him, another one of her famous mischievous smiles appearing on her lips, and he knew that his knees going weak would be the cause of his end. "It's Friday, right? You're taking me home."

Her wink that was thrown at him made his imagination shoot, and he just stood there, a raging tingly feeling sending through his body like a tidal wave.

That night, he made sure to tell her "I love you" just like he had promised to himself he would tell her from what felt like so many days ago. In fact, he didn't even have to say goodnight at all.

Because the next morning he woke up next to Piper, and he smiled, knowing that he finally made the right decision for once in his lifetime. And this was one decision he sure as hell would never regret.

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><p><strong>AN: Hope this didn't turn out crappy. Please people, be honest. I'm so confused.**

**Till next time,**

**Penguin**


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